“Master, I've come for some advice. Recently someone from my school has gotten into some serious trouble and disappeared…” Cherry said with concerned eyes.

  “Those eyes… They’re exactly like that of the boy who came in here before,” Las Baba mentioned. “Who you’re asking of was banned from the BACON.”

  “Eh?”

  “Anyone who was involved with the Zodiac Palace was banned. This club obviously doesn’t want to be known for allowing bad guys in. Your boyfriend from back then died in the last Zodiac Palace, right?”

  Her back straightened, “he did.”

  “So you’re gonna replace him?”

  “Jaromir isn’t somebody to be replaced…” Reality is a set of flickering lights, like a strobing dance floor, only when you close your eyes does everything become clearer.

  “Whenever I switch on the lights and switch off the music, this place is nothing but a huge storage room. People wake up although they haven’t slept, but they dream. And I’m the BACON’s Boss.”

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  Slouching back, Cherry’s hands rested on her stomach. This place was once my asylum…but I had to move on. Taking her time down the stairs, Las began to close the doors as Cherry was leaving.

  His final words… “I’ll leave ya alone now, if you ever feel like coming back, know you are more than welcomed. For now, you need to return to the place you belong… To your friends, for those that wait, out in the light.” Bam! Daylight rubbed her eyes wrong, but Cherry was more than happy to embrace the discomfort.

  Return to the place I belong…hmm… The scratching and scraping of a sliding and grinding board upon railings and park equipment was heard in her vicinity. Cherry saw the glistening boy still practicing. He’s… Since yesterday.

  “Yo, welcome back, Cherry,” Otie said with a heavenly smile.

  “Yup.”

  Lying on his side was Eurig who eventually chimed in, his black cap falling over his eyes. “Tcha, seems like I lost… Oti bet ya would come back, made me wait along with him. Serious drag sleeping on a bench. Ooo, smells good.” A bag of donuts sat under Eurig’s nose.

  “Just bought em,” Otie replied. “For the three of us. Want one Cherry? You're hungry, no?”

  “Yup, dead hungry!” She said with a giddy grin. “That dog?” She pointed.

  “Raido…” Otie replied. “Wanna pet him?”

  “It’s exactly three,” Eurig said, peering into the bag, slightly disappointed.